


The Winter Burglar

by JuliassicPark



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Criminals, Alternate Universe - Police, M/M, steve is a cop and bucky is a thief
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-25
Updated: 2016-09-11
Packaged: 2018-08-11 00:35:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7868206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JuliassicPark/pseuds/JuliassicPark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kissing a wanted criminal while in uniform has got to be breaking some sort of code, and Steve knows that, but there’s just something about the Winter Burglar that he can’t ignore. There’s no name for what they have- or at least, Steve doesn’t know of one. It usually starts with Steve hearing that another local jewelry store has been broken into, him driving over there to check it out, finding the Winter Burglar, and then somehow it turns into them both making out on a rooftop.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This little piece is inspired by this art I saw on twitter. I just loved the idea of a Cops and Robbers AU, and went with it!  
> Art link: https://twitter.com/pooniverse/status/768276214557581312

The Winter Burglar, or that's what they're calling him now, has been terrorizing local jewelry and pawn shops for the past year. In and out without a trace, often skittering away on rooftops before he can even be detected. Chief Fury coined the name after the third break-in, a particularly cold and snowy night when a discarded black beanie was found at the crime scene. 

Officer Steve Rogers was initially intrigued by the thief and his lack of detection. He’d listen to the briefings about the man’s takes and escapes, and how no one knew how to stop him. Changing locks didn’t work, he could pick any of them. Installing new security systems didn’t work, he still didn’t trip a single one until he was on his way out. Creating stakeouts at stores didn’t work either, because he somehow knew which ones were being watched at which times. It fascinated Steve, how clever this man was, that he almost longed to see him in action.

 

It wasn’t until about four months into the case, on one relatively uneventful night, that he was close to a store that was hit. Naturally, Steve rushed to the scene, hoping to catch the elusive culprit. But the Winter Burglar was a professional, and by the time he arrived, the thief was already on his way out. The only thing Steve caught was a glimpse of the man, fleeing the crime scene with diamonds in tow. It was dark, but Steve could’ve sworn he saw the man smirking from the rooftop. 

Then, a week later, luck struck again. Steve was close to store where the alarm was tripped, and he raced to the scene. He turned into a nearby alley, and there was the Winter Burglar. The man stopped to look at him, cocking his head to the side. This brief hesitation let Steve actually catch the notorious thief, if only for a minute. It had seemed so easy at the time, to tackle the man down and get him pinned. Well, it was too easy, because it only took one minute for the burglar to smirk, kiss Steve, and then escape up to the rooftops. Steve didn’t know what to think about the exchange, just stood in the alley touching his lips, very confused. 

The next time, about a month later, Steve almost had the handcuffs on before the notorious Winter Burglar kissed him again, for longer this time, before swiftly climbing a fire escape and fleeing the scene. However, during their meeting, Steve had managed to snag some of the jewelry back, earning a collective congratulations from the other officers. By the fourth time, Steve knew what to expect, but hey, he wasn't complaining.

 

Kissing a wanted criminal while in uniform has got to be breaking some sort of code, and Steve knows that, but there’s just something about the Winter Burglar that he can’t ignore. There’s no name for what they have- or at least, Steve doesn’t know of one. It usually starts with Steve hearing that another local jewelry store has been broken into, him driving over there to check it out, finding the Winter Burglar, and then somehow it turns into them both making out on a rooftop.

So far, no one on the force has suspected anything, which Steve is grateful for. Plus, somewhere between the apprehension and the kissing, he usually gets the merchandise back. He never does catch the thief and bring him to the station. It’s some sort of unspoken agreement between the two, just so they can keep up this- whatever it was. Once, Steve had him handcuffed and was already on the way to the station when the man finally broke out. Jumped right out of the moving car, rolled onto the street, and took off. Yeah, Steve could’ve gone after him, but he was more impressed by how amazing and also hot that was.

 

For now, the other officers seem content to let Steve handle the Winter Burglar case, because he’s the only one who’s ever seen the culprit in person, let alone taken back the stolen goods. If it means they can still have their clandestine meetings, Steve’s not complaining.

So when Steve’s casually sitting in his squad car on this Friday night, kinda pissed that he’s working and not hanging out at the bar with Sam, and he hears “reported break-in at Kay Jewelers on 49th” over the police radio, he perks up and responds,

“Rogers en route.”

He switches on the lights and sirens, and drives to the location. 

 

The alarm is going off at the store when arrives, flashing red and blaring on the street. A few other police cars were already on the scene, and Steve goes up to check in with the other officers. He spots his friend Natasha, and walks over to her to get some details.

“What’s the situation here?”

“Several diamond necklaces and rings were taken from what we can tell. No alarms were tripped until the culprit was leaving the scene. Yep, sounds like your guy, Rogers.”

“Agreed. Alright, I’ll start looking around, you guys take inventory to see just how much was taken.” It seems like a reasonable enough order to give, and Steve knows the Winter Burglar isn’t going to show up unless Steve is alone. Grabbing his flashlight, he heads around to the back of the building, scanning for any signs of the culprit.

 

A rattle of a fire escape behind him startles Steve, and he quickly turns around to try to catch sight of the man. He makes it just in time to see a black boot scramble up the steps.

“I know it’s you,” Steve says, flashing the light around in an attempt to find the thief. It usually takes some time for the him to feel secure enough to come out, probably checking perimeters or security footage, Steve doesn’t know. 

“It’s just me,” he reassures. “The other officers are inside the building, checking inventory. I’m the only one back here, I promise.” 

Steve waits for another sign of the man, but he doesn’t hear any. Steve purses his lips together, trying to come up with a solution. 

“I’ll be waiting here,” he sighs. 

After a few more minutes, Steve’s concerned, because by now the Winter Burglar definitely should’ve revealed himself. He shines his flashlight around the nearby rooftops again, looking for any sign. Okay, so what can Steve do to make the burglar so surprised he has to reveal where he is? That’s when the idea hits him. 

This Winter Burglar, well, he just can’t resist Steve, and that could work to his advantage. It’s a cooler night, but not absolutely freezing, and this idea might just be crazy enough to work. He grabs the hem of his uniform shirt, and quickly lifts it over his head and off.

He hears a gasp and a crash from above, and flicks the flashlight to where the sound came from. Sure enough, the Winter Burglar is there, sprawled out over some boxes he knocked over. Steve swings himself up to the fire escape, and climbs up to the roof. 

 

“You can’t just do that to a man,” the thief grumbles, standing back up and brushing his knees off. 

“Sorry, but you were hiding for too long,” Steve laughs. He slips his uniform back on, which makes the Winter Burglar give a disappointed sigh. 

“I only did that because I thought I saw another guy up here,” the man explains. Steve crosses his arms, giving him a quizzical look.

“Really?”

“Yeah, I just wanted to be careful and-” he’s cut off, and his face turns pale. “I was right!” 

The Winter Burglar shoves Steve out of the way, and Steve sees a fist narrowly miss him because of it. He’s dazed, but he picks himself up enough to see the Winter Burglar embroiled in a fist fight with the other man. Steve’s amazed at just how quick he is, dodging and weaving and delivering expert punches when he gets the opportunity. Steve starts to get up, because he feels like he should help, but the Winter Burglar looks over to him and quickly shakes his head. Steve’s confused, but he can’t let this man take on this thug alone, so he rises to his feet to run over to help. 

 

By the time he’s there, the Winter Burglar spins and swiftly punches the thug in the jaw, and he collapses. 

“Told you I didn’t need your help,” he says, brushing his gloved hands together. Steve’s so shocked, he almost can’t form words. This thief just took out a man larger than himself, and didn’t even break a sweat. More importantly, he has no idea who this thug is or why he was up here in the first place.

“Do- do you know who that is?” Steve slowly asks, pointing to the unconscious figure.

“Probably some Syndicate henchman,” he shrugs. “They’ve been pissed since I left a while back.” 

“ _ You left the Syndicate? _ ” That’s not something many people can do and keep their hearts beating. That means this dude’s got a past, probably a violent one, which should be concerning. The Winter Burglar rubs his left arm absentmindedly, brushing over the red star on his jacket. Steve had never looked closely at it before, but now he recognizes it. It’s indeed a Syndicate symbol. Steve has a million questions, but this guy did just possibly save his life, so he isn’t going to pry, at least for now.  

“Yeah, turned over a new leaf,” the thief responds and winks at Steve. 

“As what, a cat burglar?” Steve scoffs.

“Whatever pays the bills, Stevie.” The Winter Burglar winks again.

“Wait, how do you know my name?” Steve’s taken aback, because he thought he had hidden his identity well enough. 

“I’ve got my ways.” Whatever, that’s a battle for another time. 

“Okay, so, what do I tell my other officers?” He’s currently fraternizing with a wanted criminal who just knocked out a Syndicate goon, and he can’t really explain that. The Winter Burglar pauses for a moment, considering options.  

“Tell them you found this guy and took him out.”

“What do I say when they ask why he was here? ‘He was looking for the Winter Burglar’?”

“I don’t know, sure? Say something like I infringed on Syndicate territory or somethin’. Just leave my Syndicate shit out of it, okay?” he asks, batting his eyelashes in an attempt to be cute. It works.

“Fine,” Steve sighs, running a hand through his hair. 

“Now that that’s settled,” the Winter Burglar starts with a twinkle in his eye, closing the gap between them, “should we resume previous activities?” Steve blushes, but doesn’t protest when the thief kisses him. 

 

After a few minutes, they break apart, breathing heavily.

“Kinda pissed you kept your shirt on for that,” the thief tells him. Steve chuckles at that comment, since he’d almost forgotten about his earlier actions.

“Sorry,” he apologizes while laughing. “Also, where is my payment?” This had become a regular thing, Steve asking for some of the stolen goods back as payment for whatever this was. 

“Fine,” the Winter Burglar groans and reaches into his pockets to hand Steve some necklaces. Steve takes the jewelry and pockets it himself.

“You know I can’t cover for you forever,” Steve tells him, concerned. It’s true, they can only keep up this charade for so long, and they both know this.

“I won’t have to steal forever, I promise,” the thief replies with his trademark smirk. 

“I hope so.” They both freeze when they hear voices from below. Steve inconspicuously glances down, and sees other officers. “That’s my cue.” 

The Winter Burglar sighs and takes Steve’s face in his hands. They share a quick kiss, and then Steve walks over to the roof’s edge.

“Up here!” he shouts to his fellow officers below. He turns around to say his goodbye to his thief- boyfriend? He still doesn’t know what to call it.

“Thank you,” Steve tells him. “And uh, stay safe.” 

“You got it, Stevie,” the thief replies with a fake salute. 

Steve turns around to direct the other officers up the fire escape. When he looks over his shoulder, the Winter Burglar is gone without a trace once more.   

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Winter Burglar needs a place to crash, and he's got his eyes on one strapping young officer's apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a little bit since I posted the first chapter, and sorry for that.  
> I've been super busy working on my other fic, Can't Keep Saying Goodbye, and also school started.  
> Luckily I found some time to finish this up and I hope you enjoy it!  
> Not sure when the next will be, but I'd like to keep it going, I'm really having fun with this fic!

It’s about two weeks before the Winter Burglar makes another appearance. 

Since his fateful encounter on the roof, Steve’s been interested in Syndicate workings. He hasn’t been explicitly going out of his way for investigations, just asking around for information within the precinct. Detective Carter has been on the case for a while, and she’s friendly enough with Steve that she gave him some files with few questions asked. 

It all seemed pretty standard: they own entire blocks on the east side, take down their enemies swiftly and forcefully, have ins with politicians and criminals alike, etc. He scanned the files thoroughly, looking for any mention of a man with stealth and precision like he’d seen on the roof that night, but didn’t find anything. 

The most helpful discovery was a story about a man who had been high up in Syndicate politics who had decided to get out when his wife was sick. Police had found him in pieces in the trunk of a car not long after. The Syndicate don’t take kindly to those who leave. 

So how did the Winter Burglar get out and live? How has he been surviving for these past few months?

 

He’s sitting in his car on a Thursday night, files splayed out on his lap when he hears the radio.

“Lewis Jewelers alarm tripped on 38th.”

“Rogers en route,” he responds, almost giddy. He has so many questions for the man, and while he’s not sure how many answers he’ll get, he’s willing to try. And there’s always the promise of other, more liplocking activities.

He speeds over to the scene, and checks in with Natasha once again. 

“Yeah, all signs point to him. Want us to check it out?”

“I’ll look around back, you check a 2 block perimeter, he can’t have gone far,” he responds. 

Like last time, he walks around to a darkened alley behind the building, eyes scanning the rooftops for movement. Only this time, he doesn’t see or hear anything. 

“It’s me,” he calls out to the darkness, and waits for a response. It’s dead silent.

“Don’t make me do what I did last time,” he chuckles, but hears nothing. Now, Steve’s on guard, because that definitely should’ve caused at least some response. 

He cautiously creeps around the alley, shining his flashlight anywhere he can. At this point, he decides what the hell and takes his uniform shirt off again.

Still, nothing. 

He slips it back on, now very concerned.

What if that means the Syndicate guys got to him? Or what if he doesn’t like Steve anymore? 

 

He’s pacing along the alley when he sees Natasha run up to him.

“Looks like this is a bust, and they need units over on 52nd. Apparently there’s been some sort of explosion.”

“Explosion?” Steve asks, surprised. “Like, accident or…?”

“Probably some gas accident, but we can’t rule anything out. I’m heading down there now, you want to tag along?”

Steve ponders the thought, but decides against it. 

“No, I’ll stay here for a little longer. Maybe I can find something to help this case.”

“Okay, if you’re sure,” she says. 

There’s a look in her eyes of concern, but Steve nods and replies, “Yeah.” 

Natasha gives him a quick smile, and leaves the alley. She's always been a good friend to him, and he suspects she might know more about his criminal relationship than she's letting on, but Steve trusts her.

He searches the crime scene for another half hour, takes note of what has been stolen, and desperately tries to find his thief. He eventually gives up and heads home.

 

Steve arrives back at his apartment, exhausted and dejected. He throws his bag down on the counter, and sits down in a chair. This is the first time in a year that he’s been to a crime scene of the supposed Winter Burglar and not found him. Steve’s honestly hurt. 

He’s trying to figure out if he did something wrong, or if the burglar’s skipped town altogether. Maybe he should’ve asked more, pried less, been friendlier, he doesn’t know. 

Lost in thoughts, Steve sighs deeply, sinking into his chair. He’s wrenched out of his head when he hears a tap on his balcony. It’s windy, and he shrugs it off as such. A moment later, he hears the sound again, louder this time. Okay, now that’s too coincidental.

Carefully, Steve reaches over to his bag, taking out his pistol. He stands up slowly, and walks to the sliding glass door. He unlocks it, and tentatively steps onto his small apartment balcony. 

The night air is chilly and quiet, the only sounds being the traffic below. He glances left, but relaxes when he doesn’t see anything.

 

“Hey,” a voice says behind him. Steve nearly jumps a foot in the air, fumbling his gun and dropping it. He turns around to see the Winter Burglar standing there. On his balcony. Four stories up.

“Jesus, dude, you can’t just surprise me like that,” he pants, holding his chest. He quickly reaches down and picks his gun back up.

“Sorry?” It’s more of a question than an apology, but Steve takes it. His heart's still beating so fast it’s difficult to focus, and he’s more concerned about how the burglar even got up there.

“How- how did you get up here?” he asks slowly, looking around. “This is the fourth floor, how did you even-?”

“Climbed up,” the Winter Burglar simply shrugs, as if it’s an easy answer and not a four story climb.

“You did? Why?”

“Need a place to crash.” Steve's jaw hangs open at the statement, but he shakes his head and tries to get a handle on the situation.

“Wait, wait, back up, how did you even find me?”

“As I said, I have my ways. Not too hard to follow you.”

“You followed me?”

“What are you gonna do, file a restraining order for stalking? Yes, I followed you home. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to invade your privacy, etc. Now, can I come in?”

Steve looks at the thief, then the door, and back again. He's wearing his all black outfit: boots, pants, gloves, and jacket. Steve spots the red star on the sleeve like before, a stark contrast to the darkness of the rest of his outfit. 

The burglar’s eyes are darkened with some sort of make-up, the black smudges being one of his trademarked looks. Tonight, he has his chestnut hair tied up in a messy bun behind his head, and his beanie is nowhere to be found.

A duffel bag lay over his shoulder, and Steve isn't sure if it contains the burglar’s belongings or stolen goods. He’s hoping it’s the former.

Steve feels for the guy, he really does, and the way he's smirking with those lips is making them look  _ really _ soft right now. But he knows that he has to be logical, has to think about this correctly. 

“Okay, okay, no. You can’t show up on my balcony and ask for a place to crash just out of nowhere. No, you’re like, a fugitive. I’m a police officer. I can’t harbor a known fugitive that’s like, so not okay.”

“Look, some Syndicate goons found my hideout and blew it to shit, I need a place to stay,” the thief tells him. This causes Steve to freeze for a second, blinking at the man.

“That gas explosion, that was you?” 

“Yeah, so? I’m fine, it doesn’t matter.”

“ _ Doesn’t matter?”  _ he nearly shouts, then lowers his voice. “You expect me to let a wanted man - wanted by both police and mobsters alike - into my apartment? One whose last known location was actually bombed?”

“Are you gonna let me in or not?” The thief sounds annoyed, impatient at Steve’s perfectly reasonable response. 

“I don't know,” he finally answers, and it's the truth. 

“Can you at least make your decision inside? The longer we’re out here the longer I'm visible.”

“Uh, yeah.” The thief makes a valid point, and inviting him in to discuss the idea isn’t the same as accepting the offer, right?

 

He opens the door, and the man follows him in, plopping down on the couch and propping his feet up. Steve scans the surrounding area, but it looks clear. He locks the door and shuts the blinds, then goes to sit across from the man.

“Okay, if this is gonna happen, we have to have some rules,” he states. “First rule: feet off the coffee table.”

The Winter Burglar groans and lowers his legs down, rolling his eyes at Steve. 

“Next, you have to answer some questions. Truthfully.”

The man sighs, but then says, “Okay.”

“Are you certain no one followed you here?” Steve asks, glancing over to the now covered balcony.

“Sure of it. They think I died in the explosion, plus I covered my tracks coming here. Nobody knows I'm here except you, Steve.” The answer makes Steve breathe a sigh of relief. He's still unsteady about the whole crashing here thing, but the fact that they're safe for now is reassuring.

“Good. Next, what is your name? No, I don't need your actual, legal name if you don't want, I just need something to call you that's not your infamous Winter Burglar title.”

The thief is quiet for a moment, pondering the thought. He purses his lips together and  _ damn _ , he really shouldn't do that, because it’s making them look even more enticing than before.

“You can call me Bucky,” he decides. Steve likes the name, it suits him.

“Okay Bucky, if -  _ and that's a big if _ \- I let you stay here, how long would it be?”

“Dunno, a bit? Look I'm not asking for forever, I just need some time to get these Syndicate sons of bitches off my ass. If I hide here long enough, they'll write me off as dead and I'll be free.”

“Alright. Final question: why me?”

“I trust you.” Steve's a little taken off guard by the brutal simplicity of the answer, and Bucky’s face is genuine. 

Steve gives him a small smile, silently thanking him for the trust. 

“Plus, you're kind of unbelievably gorgeous,” he adds. Steve chuckles, glancing away from Bucky to hide his blush.

“Next rule,” Steve continues. “If you stay here, no stealing.” Bucky opens his mouth to protest, but Steve silences him with his hand. “No exceptions. I don't know what you do with the jewelry or why, but I won't have stealing more while you're here. That clear?”

Bucky regretfully nods.

“Also, no going out while I'm not here. I have a job, and I don't want you running around getting into trouble while I'm at it.”

“ _ What? _ What do I do all day?”

“I don't know, internet? Books? Just, don't leave this room without me.”

“But I can  _ with _ you?” he asks curiously. Steve isn’t expecting the question, but them leaving together seems harmless enough. Together means the ability to watch each other’s backs, and he doesn’t want to keep Bucky completely imprisoned in this tiny apartment. 

“Uh, I mean sure, but where would we go?”

“Aw, come on baby, I still haven't taken you out yet,” he smirks. Steve just gives an exasperated sigh. He’s trying to have a real conversation here and Bucky’s constant flirting is really becoming a distraction. 

“Bucky, please, focus here. I'm serious, if you stay here, you  _ stay here _ , okay?”

“I- Fine. It’s not like I have other options.”

“Good.”

“So… is that a yes?” Bucky looks up to him expectantly. Steve pauses, considering the situation. 

If he says no, then Bucky goes around stealing more, and is in danger of being spotted by the guys who want him dead. If he says yes, then he’s a police officer who is harboring a known criminal, and also probably adds himself to the list of people that the Syndicate want dead. 

He should say no, he  _ knows _ he should, but Steve has a heart that he can’t ignore. And if Bucky’s here with him, well, then he knows he’s safe.

“Yes,” he concedes, running a hand through his hair. Bucky grins and stands up from the chair, walking over to Steve. He plants a kiss on Steve’s forehead, and Steve smiles and heats up from the gesture.

“Don’t make me regret this,” he warns. 

“Wouldn’t dream of it. Where’s the shower?” Steve points it out to him, and Bucky goes into the bathroom. Steve takes the opportunity to throw some sheets on the couch, and makes it up as best as he can. 

He opens the duffel bag and is relieved to see clothes in it, rather than stolen items. Well, the clothes were probably stolen too, but he tries not to think about that. 

 

After a bit, Bucky emerges from the bathroom with a towel around his waist, and Steve is shocked.

His left arm is entirely metal from the shoulder down, and the red star insignia is on it in the same location as his jacket. 

He’s frozen by the sight. Steve’s heard of prosthetic technology, but what he sees here surpasses anything that he’s seen or heard of before. The shiny metal plates go all the way down his arm and Steve can see tiny ones in his fingers.

Bucky stops in the doorway, confused by Steve’s dumbfounded reaction, but then realizes.

“Oh, yeah. Probably should’ve mentioned this.” He swings his arm around, and Steve can hear the whirs and buzzes of the metal shifting around.

“What is that?”

“Advanced tech, not on the market. A while back I had a job go south. Lost it in a fall. Syndicate didn’t want one of their greatest assets to be disabled, so they made it for me.”

“They… can do that?”

“Steve, you have  _ no idea _ .”

“So, can you feel?” he blurts out, and immediately regrets the statement. 

Bucky shakes his head. “Just pressure and temperature really.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

“For what? You didn’t do it.”

“I know I just-”

“You’re real kind, Rogers. I like that.” Bucky’s smile is genuine, and Steve smiles back. It’s at this moment that Steve properly realizes that Bucky has just come out of the shower in nothing but a towel, and he looks  _ really good _ . His face flushes before he can stop it. 

“I made up the couch for you. I don’t have a spare bed, so it’s all you get,” he says, trying to wrench his gaze from Bucky’s exquisite chest.

“Aw,” he pouts. “And here I was thinking we could share the bed.”

Steve’s face gets redder if that’s possible.

“N-no I’ve got the couch already set it’s fine,” he stutters out. Bucky laughs at how flustered he is, and walks over to him.

“I’m just teasing you. Don’t worry, I’ll stay on the couch” - he gives Steve a quick kiss - "for now.”

“I’m gonna go to bed now,” he hastily replies, and walks towards his bedroom door. He figures he has to leave now or his body won’t let him.

“Night, Stevie,” Bucky calls to him. 

“Night, Buck.”

“Hm, I like that name,” he comments from the other side of the door.

Steve quickly changes and collapses into bed, exhausted and still bewildered by the whole experience. He’s still not sure if this is the best idea, but he can’t bring himself to kick Bucky out now. He drifts off to sleep thinking of ways to hide it from his friends.

When he wakes up, Bucky is laying next to him.


End file.
